Chapter 3
The next day, I was still lost in sleep when a large hand roughly pulled me up. Before I could even open my eyes, a heavy slap landed squarely on my face.
Eleanor’s voice boomed in my ear: “Still sleeping? You think you’re the bride today? Grab the camera and get to work!”
I stared blankly at the camera, which was bigger than my head. Without a word, I was dragged to the wedding venue.
Aside from Julian and Willow, there were only a few women in designer clothes taking pictures.
“Oh, isn’t that Scarlett Hayes? Personally taking wedding photos of her husband and sister, tsk tsk tsk, even more outlandish than a TV show.” They looked at me with disdain.
Willow feigned annoyance: “Girls, don’t talk nonsense. She’s my most sensible and wonderful sister~ She even came back to bless us, and volunteered to be the photographer.”
I watched them burst into fits of laughter, and I bit down on my teeth, forcing back the humiliation as I pressed the shutter.
Suddenly, a stiletto heel kicked my knee without warning. The searing pain made me fall to my knees with a thud. The sound of my knee crunching echoed up my spine, and I trembled with agony.
“Kneel to take pictures; it makes legs look longer. Don’t you even know that? Useless.”
One woman flipped through my photos, sneering: “Tsk tsk tsk, I bet she still hates them. Is she deliberately trying to make these look like a horror movie?”
Willow lowered her gaze and smiled, her eyes cold, then said sweetly, “Sister wouldn’t be so petty, would she~”
Before I could say anything, a hand roughly grabbed my hair, and several slaps rained down. My cheeks burned with pain.
“Who are you trying to jinx with these pictures? Our Willow is the bride today! You pathetic bitch, you couldn’t keep your man, and now you’re trying to sabotage us?”
“We were shocked when she came back, thought she was going to crash the wedding. Turns out she’s just here to take pictures. Vile to her core.”
They laughed, doubling over, then grabbed my right hand and twisted it back hard, forcing the camera onto my arm, making me hold it high.
“If these pictures aren’t perfect today, don’t even think about walking out that door!”
They stomped on my left hand, grinding it against the floor until my nails broke, bleeding profusely. But they still weren’t satisfied, and they climbed onto my back, riding me like livestock.
Unable to bear the weight, my hand slipped, and the camera crashed to the floor with a bang, splitting in two.
In a haze of pain, I saw Julian rush towards me. I actually thought he might show a shred of his old affection, but instead, he kicked me hard in the stomach: “Are you insane?! That camera cost me twenty thousand! Pay me back!”
Immediately, a metallic taste filled my throat, and my stomach pain made me curl up on the floor.
I struggled to stay conscious, staring in disbelief as he snatched my phone. After a few taps, he threw it at my face like trash.
Willow strolled over, looking down at me sprawled on the floor.
“Sister, do you know how hard it was for our family these three years you were gone? I held this house together. I helped you so much, how could you harbor such resentment?”
“You were never supposed to come back. Why didn’t you just die out there?”
I gasped for air, glaring at the sister I had once loved more than anything. Our parents died when we were young, and I had always looked after her like my own daughter, only to raise such a monster!
Willow raised an eyebrow, smiling sweetly at her friends. They understood, grabbing my hair and dragging me to a room upstairs.
The moment I was thrown into the elevator, Willow turned back, her smile cold and malicious.
“Girls, we need to teach her a lesson, so she never dares to bother Willow again.”
The mean girls dragged me into the room, tore off my clothes, pinched my chin, slapped me while taking pictures, and even stomped on my palms with their stiletto heels.
I struggled in agony, but my old injuries made me too weak to resist.
“Do you know where your sister and husband are right now? Right next door, in that room~ They said they needed to warm up for their big day today, know what I mean?”
They roughly forced me to my knees outside the room door.
“Can you hear it? Your sister is enjoying herself for you, isn’t this the ‘reunion’ you always dreamed of?”
Soft moans emanated from the room, my sister’s syrupy voice rising and falling.
“Julian, do you like me or my sister?”
“Of course, it’s you, my little devil! Your sister is frigid, utterly boring!” Julian’s tone was dismissive.
I never imagined the man I had given my heart to for so many years saw me this way. The last shred of hope shattered in my heart. I knelt in despair, tears streaming from my eyes.
After their 'joyful' session, everyone left, leaving the room a disgusting mess, reeking of their 'joy.'
Before Julian left, he didn't forget to warn me: “You still have to give Willow away later. If you look like this, do you want to embarrass her?”
I gave up completely. My hands shaking, I dialed that familiar number.
“Godfather, my sister and my husband are getting married today. Please bring some… gifts from *our* world.”
I covered my mouth, my eyes filled only with hatred. I staggered out of the hotel, and just as I stepped through the main entrance, the world spun, and a blinding white light rushed towards me.
“CRASH!”